TRAVEL: Hong Kong 2015 (September 26-30, 2015)

Victoria Harbour at night

Attraction List

Nan Lian Garden and Nunnery
Ocean Terminal and the Peak – View of Victoria Harbour (day and night)
Avenue of the Stars (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Hong Kong Museum of History

After visiting Macau and Lantau Island, we spent a few more days in Hong Kong. We last visited Hong Kong in 2010, so this entry is more of an update of the attractions one can visit.

Nan Lian Garden and Nunnery

Nan Lian Garden and Nunnery is a classical Chinese garden built among modern sky rises in the Kowloon district. As you pass through the gate, the left side houses the Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery, which houses models of historical sites from China.

Museum of timber architecture

Wooden model

The rest of garden is built in a circular fashion allowing one to take a pleasant walk under the trees and admire the flora and birds. At the center, there is a Tang-style pagoda with a red bridge leading up to it. The overall attraction is worth visiting if you enjoy viewing Chinese architecture.

Nan Lian Garden

Victoria Harbour is the iconic view of Hong Kong. The best views are from the Ocean Terminal and the promenade along Tsim Sha Tsui.

Victoria Harbour in the daytime

For an early morning view of Hong Kong, my cousin suggested hiking up the Peak at 4AM and bringing a tripod for the camera to capture the sunrise between 5-6AM as well as to watch the city come to life (click on the image below to see my album on the changes of the Hong Kong sky).

Hong Kong before sunrise

The results were worth it. The beautiful purples and pinks blending in with the sun were a picturesque sight.

During our visit on September 2015, we were lucky to see the Avenue of the Stars, a promenade walk dedicated to all the stars of Hong Kong cinema, such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Shek Kin, and Stephen Chow.

Avenue of the Stars

Unfortunately, now it is under renovation until 2018. Some of the important figures have been moved to the Garden of the Stars.

Bruce Lee in the Avenue of the Stars

Finally, we visited the Hong Kong Museum of History to see the special exhibit on the Han Dynasty (“The Rise of the Celestial Empire: Consolidation and Cultural Exchange during the Han Dynasty”) and the history of Hong Kong. The exhibits were very informative.